


You're Not Keith

by inabodycastofglass



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Canon Universe, Discourse, Fighting, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-30
Updated: 2016-09-30
Packaged: 2018-08-18 18:45:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8172011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inabodycastofglass/pseuds/inabodycastofglass
Summary: Keith gets ticked at Lance for a dangerous maneuver on the field.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is a warm up fic to try my hands at writing these characters.

Keith threw his helmet on the ground, pulled out of Shiro’s grasp, and stormed up to Lance.

“What was that?”

Lance gave him a sly look. “You mean my awesome escape maneuver?”

“No, I mean your stupid suicide attack.”

“Oh, right.” He smirked, tilting his chin up and looking down his nose at Keith. “What, are you jealous? I could teach you if you like.”

Keith’s face heated up, his teeth gritting painfully. “You almost died.”

Shiro put a hand on his shoulder and pulled him back. “Keith, calm down. Yelling won’t solve anything.”

He pulled away roughly.

Shiro turned to Lance. “He’s right, though. What you did was stupid and careless, and it could have gotten you killed.” He sighed. “What were you thinking?”

“Oh come on.” Lance dropped all pretense of cockiness. “It worked, didn’t it?”

“That’s beside the point, Lance. What if it hadn’t?”

“Oh, sure, get on my case for being reckless. That’s fair.”

Shiro crossed his arms. “What exactly does that mean?”

“You never get on Mullet’s face.” He swung his arm toward Keith, almost smacking him in the face.

“Hey-”

Shiro blocked Keith with his arm. “I do get on his case. Every time. But we’re not talking about Keith right now. We’re talking about you.”

Lance looked to Keith, matching his glare before throwing his hands in the air. “Whatever. I’m out of here.”

“Lance.” Shiro went to follow after him, but Hunk stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

“Just give him some space to cool off. He gets like this sometimes.”

“No.” Keith clenched his fists so the pleather at his knuckles strained. He stormed after him, ignoring the others calling after him.

He opened the door to Lance’s room and stormed in.

Lance was in there, pacing back and forth with wide, quick steps. His shoulders were drawn together, his back hunched, his head down. The sounds of his ragged breath were even louder in the small room and empty walls.

“Lance.”

He turned on Keith, tears falling down his face, his eyes bloodshot, his face a splotchy red. “What!”

Keith reeled back, his eyes wide. “Why are you crying?”

Lance grit his teeth, his hands shaking. “Because I’m angry! Because you can do whatever you want and it always works out great and no one ever says anything! But I do one thing - one thing -  and it goes perfectly, and all anyone does is chew me out. Al because I’m not perfect, talented Keith.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about how you’re so much better than me at everything. About how everyone loves you. I’m talking about how you’re such a great pilot without even trying.”

“That’s what this is about? Some inferiority complex you have?”

“So what if I have an inferiority complex? You’d have one, too, if you had five siblings.”

“You need to calm down.”

“Or what? What’ll you do if I don’t?”

Keith socked him in the jaw.

Lance stared up at him from the floor, his eyes wide, looking dazed.

“Look, I don’t know what kind of baggage you’re holding onto, but what you did today was dumb. You could have died. And, if you don’t care how any of us would have felt at that, then think about how your family would have felt.”

Keith dropped down to one knee in front of Lance. “You don’t have to always compare yourself to me, that makes no sense. We’re completely different people with different piloting styles.”

“But-”

“Stop. Just stop.” Keith sighed. “Look, Lance. I’m careless because I don’t have anything on Earth to go back to. I don’t have a family or friends or a home. Before coming here I had nothing. But you’re different. You have a reason to live.”

He paused, waiting for Lance to argue, or speak, or anything, but he was silent.

He sat down, leaning his head forward. “Today wasn’t like you. We got scared. You’re usually so careful and organised. You follow patterns and structure. So going off and pulling a move like that freaked us.” He took a breath and looked Lance in the eye. “I know you think I hate you, or something stupid like that, but I don’t. I actually like you. And I don’t want to see you die, all right?”

Lance’s face twisted. He closed his eyes, and a sob caught in his throat.

Keith leant forward on his knees and hugged him.

“What are you doing?”

“Comforting you.”

“Why-” Lance cut himself off and took a deep, shaking breath. Slowly he hugged Keith back, squeezing tight, gripping onto his uniform.

“You know, I don’t want you to die, either.”

“Is that right?”

Lance huffed. “That’s right.”

Keith stared at the wall in front of him. “Thanks. I’ve never had anyone care about me before.”

“Yeah, well.” Lance’s voice took on a defensive tone. “Now you do.”

He hugged Lance a little bit tighter and buried his face in the crook of his neck. “Thanks.”


End file.
